Thin-film transistors incorporated into three dimensional MEMS structures

ABSTRACT

This disclosure provides systems, methods and apparatus for forming electromechanical systems (EMS) displays where the area of a substrate occupied by a pixel circuit can be reduced if portions of the pixel circuit can be built in three dimensions. In some aspects, certain EMS displays can incorporate structures that are substantially normal to the surface of a substrate. Incorporating circuit components, such as transistors, into such structures, can reduce the area they occupy within the plane of the substrate. In some aspects, the components of a transistor can be fabricated directly into a MEMS anchor that supports a light modulator or a portion of an actuator over the substrate. In some other aspects, the transistor can be fabricated on one or more sidewalls of any MEMS structure.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This disclosure relates to the field of imaging displays, and inparticular to pixel circuits for display elements.

DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED TECHNOLOGY

Electromechanical systems (EMS) devices include devices havingelectrical and mechanical elements, such as actuators, opticalcomponents (such as mirrors, shutters, and/or optical film layers) andelectronics. EMS devices can be manufactured at a variety of scalesincluding, but not limited to, microscales and nanoscales. For example,microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) devices can include structureshaving sizes ranging from about a micron to hundreds of microns or more.Nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS) devices can include structureshaving sizes smaller than a micron including, for example, sizes smallerthan several hundred nanometers. Electromechanical elements may becreated using deposition, etching, lithography, and/or othermicromachining processes that etch away parts of deposited materiallayers, or that add layers to form electrical and electromechanicaldevices.

EMS-based display apparatus have been proposed that include displayelements that modulate light by selectively moving a light blockingcomponent into and out of an optical path through an aperture definedthrough a light blocking layer. Doing so selectively passes light from abacklight or reflects light from the ambient or a front light to form animage.

SUMMARY

The systems, methods and devices of the disclosure each have severalinnovative aspects, no single one of which is solely responsible for thedesirable attributes disclosed herein.

One innovative aspect of the subject matter described in this disclosurecan be implemented in an apparatus including a substrate, anelectromechanical systems (EMS) structure having a first sidewallextending up from the substrate, where the first sidewall is formed froma plurality of layers of material, and a thin-film transistor having acomponent that forms a portion of at least a first layer of the firstsidewall. In some implementations, a ratio of a height of the firstsidewall over a thickness of the first sidewall is at least about 4:1.

In some implementations, the first layer of the first sidewall forms achannel of the thin-film transistor, and the first layer includes anamorphous semiconductor. In some implementations, at least a secondlayer of the first sidewall forms a gate terminal of the thin-filmtransistor. In some implementations, the first layer of the firstsidewall forms a source terminal or a drain terminal of the thin-filmtransistor.

In some implementations, the EMS structure includes a floor, and atleast one layer of material of the floor of the EMS structure forms agate terminal of the thin-film transistor. In some such implementations,the EMS structure includes an elevated surface that is elevated withrespect to the floor, and at least one layer of material of the elevatedsurface forms a source or a drain terminal of the thin-film transistor.

In some other implementations, the EMS structure includes a floor, andat least one layer of material of the floor of the EMS structure forms asource or drain terminal of the thin-film transistor. In someimplementations, the EMS structure includes an elevated surface that iselevated with respect to the floor, and at least one layer of materialof the elevated surface forms a gate terminal of the thin-filmtransistor. In some implementations, the apparatus further includes anEMS light modulator suspended over the substrate, where the EMSstructure includes an anchor that supports a portion of an actuatorconfigured to control the state of the EMS light modulator, and thetransistor controls the application of an actuation voltage to theportion of the actuator. In some implementations, the first sidewall isoriented at least substantially normal to the substrate.

In some implementations, the apparatus further includes a display havingthe substrate, the EMS structure and the thin film transistor, aprocessor that is configured to communicate with the display, theprocessor being configured to process image data, and a memory devicethat is configured to communicate with the processor. In someimplementations, the apparatus further includes a driver circuitconfigured to send at least one signal to the display, and a controllerconfigured to send at least a portion of the image data to the drivercircuit. In some implementations, the apparatus further includes animage source module configured to send the image data to the processor,where the image source module includes at least one of a receiver,transceiver, and transmitter. In some implementations, the apparatusfurther includes an input device configured to receive input data and tocommunicate the input data to the processor.

Another innovative aspect of the subject matter described in thisdisclosure can be implemented in a method for fabricating a thin-filmtransistor. In some implementations, the method includes depositing asacrificial mold over a substrate, patterning the sacrificial mold toform at least one surface that forms an angle with the substrate,depositing a first conductor over the sacrificial mold such that thefirst conductor coats the surface of the sacrificial mold that issubstantially normal to the substrate, patterning the first conductor toform at least one of a source, a drain, and a gate terminal of thethin-film transistor, depositing a semiconductor material over thepatterned sacrificial mold, and patterning the deposited semiconductormaterial to form a channel of the thin-film transistor, such that aratio of a height of the thin-film transistor from the substrate to athickness of the thin-film transistor is at least about 4:1.

In some implementations, patterning the sacrificial mold to form atleast one surface that forms an angle with the substrate includespatterning the sacrificial mold to form the at least one surfacesubstantially normal to the substrate. In some implementations,depositing the semiconductor material over the patterned sacrificialmold includes depositing an amorphous semiconductor material. In someimplementations, the method further includes depositing an anchormaterial over the surface of the sacrificial mold that is substantiallynormal to the substrate, such that depositing the first conductor overthe sacrificial mold includes depositing the first conductor over theanchor material.

In some implementations, the method further includes patterning thesacrificial mold to form at least one surface that is substantiallyparallel to the substrate, depositing a second conductor over thesacrificial mold such that the second conductor coats the surface of thesacrificial mold that is substantially parallel to the substrate, andpatterning the second conductor to form the other of the source, drain,and gate terminal of the thin-film transistor. In some suchimplementations, patterning the sacrificial mold to form at least onesurface that is substantially parallel to the substrate includespatterning the sacrificial mold to form the at least one surface that issubstantially parallel to and elevated from the substrate. In some suchimplementations, the method further includes depositing a secondconductor over the sacrificial mold such that the second conductor coatsthe surface of the sacrificial mold that is substantially parallel toand elevated from the substrate, and patterning the second conductor toform the other of the source, drain, and gate terminal of the thin-filmtransistor.

Details of one or more implementations of the subject matter describedin this specification are set forth in the accompanying drawings and thedescription below. Although the examples provided in this summary areprimarily described in terms of electromechanical systems (EMS) baseddisplays, the concepts provided herein may apply to other types ofdisplays, such as liquid crystal displays (LCDs), organic light-emittingdiode (OLED) displays, electrophoretic displays, and field emissiondisplays, as well as to other non-display EMS devices, such as EMSmicrophones, sensors, and optical switches. Other features, aspects, andadvantages will become apparent from the description, the drawings, andthe claims. Note that the relative dimensions of the following figuresmay not be drawn to scale.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A shows a schematic diagram of an example direct-viewmicroelectromechanical systems (MEMS) based display apparatus.

FIG. 1B shows a block diagram of an example host device.

FIG. 2 shows a top view of an example shutter based light modulator.

FIG. 3 shows an example pixel circuit 300 that can be implemented forcontrolling a light modulator.

FIGS. 4A and 4B show isometric views of a portion of an example displayapparatus 400 having three-dimensional thin-film-transistors (TFTs).

FIGS. 5A and 5B show isometric views of two example anchors having TFTsfabricated into their sidewalls.

FIGS. 6A-6J show example cross-sectional views of the results of variousmanufacturing stages of an example process to form an anchorincorporating a TFT into its structure.

FIGS. 7A and 7B show example cross sectional and top views,respectively, of the result of an intermediate manufacturing stage of anexample process to form a TFT/spacer.

FIG. 8 shows an example flow diagram of a process for fabricating anexample MEMS structure having three-dimensional TFTs.

FIGS. 9A and 9B show system block diagrams of an example display devicethat includes a plurality of display elements.

Like reference numbers and designations in the various drawings indicatelike elements.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following description is directed to certain implementations for thepurposes of describing the innovative aspects of this disclosure.However, a person having ordinary skill in the art will readilyrecognize that the teachings herein can be applied in a multitude ofdifferent ways. The described implementations may be implemented in anydevice, apparatus, or system that can be configured to display an image,whether in motion (such as video) or stationary (such as still images),and whether textual, graphical or pictorial. More particularly, it iscontemplated that the described implementations may be included in orassociated with a variety of electronic devices such as, but not limitedto: mobile telephones, multimedia Internet enabled cellular telephones,mobile television receivers, wireless devices, smartphones, Bluetooth®devices, personal data assistants (PDAs), wireless electronic mailreceivers, hand-held or portable computers, netbooks, notebooks,smartbooks, tablets, printers, copiers, scanners, facsimile devices,global positioning system (GPS) receivers/navigators, cameras, digitalmedia players (such as MP3 players), camcorders, game consoles, wristwatches, clocks, calculators, television monitors, flat panel displays,electronic reading devices (for example, e-readers), computer monitors,auto displays (including odometer and speedometer displays, etc.),cockpit controls and/or displays, camera view displays (such as thedisplay of a rear view camera in a vehicle), electronic photographs,electronic billboards or signs, projectors, architectural structures,microwaves, refrigerators, stereo systems, cassette recorders orplayers, DVD players, CD players, VCRs, radios, portable memory chips,washers, dryers, washer/dryers, parking meters, packaging (such as inelectromechanical systems (EMS) applications includingmicroelectromechanical systems (MEMS) applications, as well as non-EMSapplications), aesthetic structures (such as display of images on apiece of jewelry or clothing) and a variety of EMS devices. Theteachings herein also can be used in non-display applications such as,but not limited to, electronic switching devices, radio frequencyfilters, sensors, accelerometers, gyroscopes, motion-sensing devices,magnetometers, inertial components for consumer electronics, parts ofconsumer electronics products, varactors, liquid crystal devices,electrophoretic devices, drive schemes, manufacturing processes andelectronic test equipment. Thus, the teachings are not intended to belimited to the implementations depicted solely in the Figures, butinstead have wide applicability as will be readily apparent to onehaving ordinary skill in the art.

In some implementations of an EMS display, each pixel is controlled by apixel circuit formed on a substrate. The area of the substrate occupiedby the pixel circuit can be reduced if portions of the pixel circuit canbe built in three dimensions. For example, certain EMS displaysincorporate structures that are substantially normal to the surface of asubstrate. Incorporating circuit components, such as transistors, intosuch structures, can reduce the area the circuit components occupywithin the plane of the substrate. In some implementations, thecomponents of a thin-film-transistor (TFT) can be fabricated directlyinto a MEMS anchor that supports a light modulator or a portion of anactuator over the substrate. In some other implementations, thetransistor can be fabricated into one or more sidewalls of any MEMSstructure.

Particular implementations of the subject matter described in thisdisclosure can be implemented to realize one or more of the followingpotential advantages. Fabricating TFTs on or as part ofthree-dimensional structures formed on a substrate of an EMS display canreduce the area occupied by the TFTs within the plane of the substrate.This reduces the area on the substrate needed to fabricate a pixel.Thus, pixel density for the same sized substrate can be increased, anddisplays with higher resolution (typically measured in pixel per inch(PPI)) can be achieved.

In some implementations, by fabricating the TFTs, and other componentsof the pixel circuit over or into the three-dimensional structures,parasitic capacitances between these components and other circuitry canbe reduced.

FIG. 1A shows a schematic diagram of an example direct-view MEMS-baseddisplay apparatus 100. The display apparatus 100 includes a plurality oflight modulators 102 a-102 d (generally light modulators 102) arrangedin rows and columns. In the display apparatus 100, the light modulators102 a and 102 d are in the open state, allowing light to pass. The lightmodulators 102 b and 102 c are in the closed state, obstructing thepassage of light. By selectively setting the states of the lightmodulators 102 a-102 d, the display apparatus 100 can be utilized toform an image 104 for a backlit display, if illuminated by a lamp orlamps 105. In another implementation, the apparatus 100 may form animage by reflection of ambient light originating from the front of theapparatus. In another implementation, the apparatus 100 may form animage by reflection of light from a lamp or lamps positioned in thefront of the display, i.e., by use of a front light.

In some implementations, each light modulator 102 corresponds to a pixel106 in the image 104. In some other implementations, the displayapparatus 100 may utilize a plurality of light modulators to form apixel 106 in the image 104. For example, the display apparatus 100 mayinclude three color-specific light modulators 102. By selectivelyopening one or more of the color-specific light modulators 102corresponding to a particular pixel 106, the display apparatus 100 cangenerate a color pixel 106 in the image 104. In another example, thedisplay apparatus 100 includes two or more light modulators 102 perpixel 106 to provide a luminance level in an image 104. With respect toan image, a pixel corresponds to the smallest picture element defined bythe resolution of image. With respect to structural components of thedisplay apparatus 100, the term pixel refers to the combined mechanicaland electrical components utilized to modulate the light that forms asingle pixel of the image.

The display apparatus 100 is a direct-view display in that it may notinclude imaging optics typically found in projection applications. In aprojection display, the image formed on the surface of the displayapparatus is projected onto a screen or onto a wall. The displayapparatus is substantially smaller than the projected image. In a directview display, the user sees the image by looking directly at the displayapparatus, which contains the light modulators and optionally abacklight or front light for enhancing brightness and/or contrast seenon the display.

Direct-view displays may operate in either a transmissive or reflectivemode. In a transmissive display, the light modulators filter orselectively block light which originates from a lamp or lamps positionedbehind the display. The light from the lamps is optionally injected intoa lightguide or backlight so that each pixel can be uniformlyilluminated. Transmissive direct-view displays are often built ontotransparent or glass substrates to facilitate a sandwich assemblyarrangement where one substrate, containing the light modulators, ispositioned over the backlight.

Each light modulator 102 can include a shutter 108 and an aperture 109.To illuminate a pixel 106 in the image 104, the shutter 108 ispositioned such that it allows light to pass through the aperture 109towards a viewer. To keep a pixel 106 unlit, the shutter 108 ispositioned such that it obstructs the passage of light through theaperture 109. The aperture 109 is defined by an opening patternedthrough a reflective or light-absorbing material in each light modulator102.

The display apparatus also includes a control matrix connected to thesubstrate and to the light modulators for controlling the movement ofthe shutters. The control matrix includes a series of electricalinterconnects (such as interconnects 110, 112 and 114), including atleast one write-enable interconnect 110 (also referred to as a scan-lineinterconnect) per row of pixels, one data interconnect 112 for eachcolumn of pixels, and one common interconnect 114 providing a commonvoltage to all pixels, or at least to pixels from both multiple columnsand multiples rows in the display apparatus 100. In response to theapplication of an appropriate voltage (the write-enabling voltage,V_(WE)), the write-enable interconnect 110 for a given row of pixelsprepares the pixels in the row to accept new shutter movementinstructions. The data interconnects 112 communicate the new movementinstructions in the form of data voltage pulses. The data voltage pulsesapplied to the data interconnects 112, in some implementations, directlycontribute to an electrostatic movement of the shutters. In some otherimplementations, the data voltage pulses control switches, such astransistors or other non-linear circuit elements that control theapplication of separate actuation voltages, which are typically higherin magnitude than the data voltages, to the light modulators 102. Theapplication of these actuation voltages then results in theelectrostatic driven movement of the shutters 108.

FIG. 1B shows a block diagram of an example host device 120 (i.e., cellphone, smart phone, PDA, MP3 player, tablet, e-reader, netbook,notebook, watch, etc.). The host device 120 includes a display apparatus128, a host processor 122, environmental sensors 124, a user inputmodule 126, and a power source.

The display apparatus 128 includes a plurality of scan drivers 130 (alsoreferred to as write enabling voltage sources), a plurality of datadrivers 132 (also referred to as data voltage sources), a controller134, common drivers 138, lamps 140-146, lamp drivers 148 and an array150 of display elements, such as the light modulators 102 shown in FIG.1A. The scan drivers 130 apply write enabling voltages to scan-lineinterconnects 110. The data drivers 132 apply data voltages to the datainterconnects 112.

In some implementations of the display apparatus, the data drivers 132are configured to provide analog data voltages to the array 150 ofdisplay elements, especially where the luminance level of the image 104is to be derived in analog fashion. In analog operation, the lightmodulators 102 are designed such that when a range of intermediatevoltages is applied through the data interconnects 112, there results arange of intermediate open states in the shutters 108 and therefore arange of intermediate illumination states or luminance levels in theimage 104. In other cases, the data drivers 132 are configured to applyonly a reduced set of 2, 3 or 4 digital voltage levels to the datainterconnects 112. These voltage levels are designed to set, in digitalfashion, an open state, a closed state, or other discrete state to eachof the shutters 108.

The scan drivers 130 and the data drivers 132 are connected to a digitalcontroller circuit 134 (also referred to as the controller 134). Thecontroller sends data to the data drivers 132 in a mostly serialfashion, organized in sequences, which in some implementations may bepredetermined, grouped by rows and by image frames. The data drivers 132can include series to parallel data converters, level shifting, and forsome applications digital to analog voltage converters.

The display apparatus optionally includes a set of common drivers 138,also referred to as common voltage sources. In some implementations, thecommon drivers 138 provide a DC common potential to all display elementswithin the array 150 of display elements, for instance by supplyingvoltage to a series of common interconnects 114. In some otherimplementations, the common drivers 138, following commands from thecontroller 134, issue voltage pulses or signals to the array 150 ofdisplay elements, for instance global actuation pulses which are capableof driving and/or initiating simultaneous actuation of all displayelements in multiple rows and columns of the array 150.

All of the drivers (such as scan drivers 130, data drivers 132 andcommon drivers 138) for different display functions aretime-synchronized by the controller 134. Timing commands from thecontroller coordinate the illumination of red, green, blue and whitelamps (140, 142, 144 and 146 respectively) via lamp drivers 148, thewrite-enabling and sequencing of specific rows within the array 150 ofdisplay elements, the output of voltages from the data drivers 132, andthe output of voltages that provide for display element actuation. Insome implementations, the lamps are light emitting diodes (LEDs).

The controller 134 determines the sequencing or addressing scheme bywhich each of the shutters 108 can be re-set to the illumination levelsappropriate to a new image 104. New images 104 can be set at periodicintervals. For instance, for video displays, the color images 104 orframes of video are refreshed at frequencies ranging from 10 to 300Hertz (Hz). In some implementations the setting of an image frame to thearray 150 is synchronized with the illumination of the lamps 140, 142,144 and 146 such that alternate image frames are illuminated with analternating series of colors, such as red, green, blue and white. Theimage frames for each respective color are referred to as colorsubframes. In this method, referred to as the field sequential colormethod, if the color subframes are alternated at frequencies in excessof 20 Hz, the human brain will average the alternating frame images intothe perception of an image having a broad and continuous range ofcolors. In alternate implementations, four or more lamps with primarycolors can be employed in display apparatus 100, employing primariesother than red, green, blue and white.

In some implementations, where the display apparatus 100 is designed forthe digital switching of shutters 108 between open and closed states,the controller 134 forms an image by the method of time divisiongrayscale, as previously described. In some other implementations, thedisplay apparatus 100 can provide grayscale through the use of multipleshutters 108 per pixel.

In some implementations, the data for an image 104 state is loaded bythe controller 134 to the display element array 150 by a sequentialaddressing of individual rows, also referred to as scan lines. For eachrow or scan line in the sequence, the scan driver 130 applies awrite-enable voltage to the write enable interconnect 110 for that rowof the array 150, and subsequently the data driver 132 supplies datavoltages, corresponding to desired shutter states, for each column inthe selected row. This process repeats until data has been loaded forall rows in the array 150. In some implementations, the sequence ofselected rows for data loading is linear, proceeding from top to bottomin the array 150. In some other implementations, the sequence ofselected rows is pseudo-randomized, in order to minimize visualartifacts. And in some other implementations, the sequencing isorganized by blocks, where, for a block, the data for only a certainfraction of the image 104 state is loaded to the array 150, for instanceby addressing only every 5^(th) row of the array 150 in sequence.

In some implementations, the process for loading image data to the array150 is separated in time from the process of actuating the displayelements in the array 150. In these implementations, the display elementarray 150 may include data memory elements for each display element inthe array 150 and the control matrix may include a global actuationinterconnect for carrying trigger signals, from common driver 138, toinitiate simultaneous actuation of shutters 108 according to data storedin the memory elements.

In alternative implementations, the array 150 of display elements andthe control matrix that controls the display elements may be arranged inconfigurations other than rectangular rows and columns. For example, thedisplay elements can be arranged in hexagonal arrays or curvilinear rowsand columns. In general, as used herein, the term scan-line shall referto any plurality of display elements that share a write-enablinginterconnect.

The host processor 122 generally controls the operations of the host.For example, the host processor 122 may be a general or special purposeprocessor for controlling a portable electronic device. With respect tothe display apparatus 128, included within the host device 120, the hostprocessor 122 outputs image data as well as additional data about thehost. Such information may include data from environmental sensors, suchas ambient light or temperature; information about the host, including,for example, an operating mode of the host or the amount of powerremaining in the host's power source; information about the content ofthe image data; information about the type of image data; and/orinstructions for display apparatus for use in selecting an imaging mode.

The user input module 126 conveys the personal preferences of the userto the controller 134, either directly, or via the host processor 122.In some implementations, the user input module 126 is controlled bysoftware in which the user programs personal preferences such as deepercolor, better contrast, lower power, increased brightness, sports, liveaction, or animation. In some other implementations, these preferencesare input to the host using hardware, such as a switch or dial. Theplurality of data inputs to the controller 134 direct the controller toprovide data to the various drivers 130, 132, 138 and 148 whichcorrespond to optimal imaging characteristics.

An environmental sensor module 124 also can be included as part of thehost device 120. The environmental sensor module 124 receives data aboutthe ambient environment, such as temperature and or ambient lightingconditions. The sensor module 124 can be programmed to distinguishwhether the device is operating in an indoor or office environmentversus an outdoor environment in bright daylight versus an outdoorenvironment at nighttime. The sensor module 124 communicates thisinformation to the display controller 134, so that the controller 134can optimize the viewing conditions in response to the ambientenvironment.

FIG. 2 shows a top view of an example shutter based light modulator 200.In particular, FIG. 2 shows a light modulator 200 having actuators, eachincluding two pairs of compliant beams. The light modulator 200 caninclude dual actuators for moving a shutter in opposing directions. Thelight modulator 200 can be suitable for incorporation into the directview MEMS-based display apparatus 100 of FIG. 1A as the light modulator102.

The light modulator 200 includes a shutter 202 coupled to ashutter-close actuator 204 and to a shutter-open actuator 206(collectively referred to as “the actuators 204 and 206”). The shutter202 includes shutter openings 208 through which light can pass through.By aligning or misaligning the shutter openings 208 with apertures 210in an underlying aperture layer, the shutter 202 can transmit or blocklight emanating from the apertures 210 from reaching a viewer. When theshutter openings 208 are aligned with the apertures 208, the shutter 202is said to be in an OPEN position. In the OPEN position, the shutter 202allows substantially all light emanating from the apertures 210 to passthrough towards the viewer. On the other hand, when the shutter openingsare misaligned with the apertures 210, the shutter 202 is said to be ina CLOSED position. In the CLOSED position the shutter 202 blockssubstantially all light emanating from the apertures 210 from reachingthe viewer. In some implementations the shutter 202 can also bepositioned in a partially CLOSED position, in which the shutter openings208 are partially misaligned with the apertures 210. In the partiallyCLOSED position, the shutter 202 allows only a portion of the lightemanating from the apertures 210 to reach the viewer. As an example,FIG. 2 shows the shutter 202 in a CLOSED position. That is, the shutteropenings 208 are misaligned with the apertures 210.

The shutter 202 can be moved between the OPEN position and the CLOSEDposition by actuating the shutter-open actuator 206 and theshutter-close actuator 204. The shutter-open actuator 206 and theshutter-close actuator 204 are positioned on opposing ends of theshutter 202 such that the actuation of the shutter-open actuator 206positions the shutter 202 in the OPEN position, while the actuation ofthe shutter-close actuator 204 positions the shutter 202 in the CLOSEDposition. The actuators 204 and 206 open and close the shutter 202 bypulling the shutter 202 substantially in a plane parallel to theaperture layer over which the shutter 202 is suspended. The shutter 202is suspended a short distance over the aperture layer by load anchors212 attached to the actuators 204 and 206. The inclusion of supportsattached to both ends of the shutter 202 along its axis of movementreduces out of plane motion of the shutter 202 and confines the motionsubstantially to a plane parallel to the aperture layer.

As mentioned above, the shutter-close actuator 204 and the shutter-openactuator 206 each include two pairs of compliant beams. For example,each of the actuators 204 and 206 includes a pair of compliant loadbeams 214 and a pair of compliant drive beams 216. One end of each ofthe compliant load beams 214 is coupled to the shutter 202, while theother end of each of the compliant load beams 214 is coupled to the loadanchor 212. One end of each of the drive beam 216 is coupled to a driveanchor 218 while the other end of each of the drive beams 216 issuspended in proximity with the opposing load beam 214.

The actuators 204 and 206 are actuated or de-actuated by applying orremoving an actuation voltage across the compliant load beams 214 andthe compliant drive beams 216. For example, to actuate the shutter-closeactuator 204, a voltage difference equal to an actuation voltage isapplied between the compliant load beams 214 and the compliant drivebeams 216 of the shutter-close actuator 204. The application of theactuation voltage results in the generation of electrostatic forcesbetween the compliant load beams 214 and the corresponding compliantdrive beams 216. The electrostatic forces cause the compliant load beams214, and in turn the shutter 202, to move towards the drive beams 216.As a result, the shutter 202 is positioned in a CLOSED state. Once theshutter-close actuator 204 has been actuated, the voltage differencebetween its compliant load beams 214 and the compliant drive beams 216can be reduced to a lower maintenance voltage, which can maintain theposition of the shutter over the presence of a greater opposing voltagebeing applied to the shutter-open actuator 206.

The shutter-open actuator 206 can be actuated in a manner similar to theone described above with respect to the shutter-close actuator 204. Forexample, assuming that the voltage on the shutter-close actuator 204 isless than the maintenance voltage referred to above, the shutter-openactuator 206 can be actuated by applying an actuation voltage across itscompliant load beams 214 and the compliant drive beams 216. In thiscase, the shutter 202 is pulled in the opposite direction moving theshutter 202 into the OPEN position. After actuation, the voltagedifference between the compliant load beams 214 and the compliant drivebeams 216 of the shutter-open actuator 206 can be reduced to amaintenance voltage.

In some implementations, the voltage applied to the compliant load beams214, and in turn the shutter 202, is kept constant. In suchimplementations, appropriate voltages can be applied to the respectivecompliant drive beams 216 of the actuators 204 and 206 based on which ofthe actuators 204 and 206 is to be actuated. For example, to actuate theshutter-close actuator 204, the voltage at the compliant load beams 214and the shutter 202 can be maintained at zero volts and the voltage atthe compliant drive beams 214 of the shutter-close actuator 204 can beraised to the actuation voltage.

In some other implementations, the voltage applied to the compliantdrive beams 216 of both the actuators 204 and 206 are maintained atconstant, but different voltages (such as a high voltage and a lowvoltage). In such implementation, an appropriate voltage is applied tothe compliant load beams 214 and the shutter 202 to actuate one of thefirst actuators 204 and 206.

In some implementations, spacers 220 can be placed in the vicinity ofthe light modulator. In some implementations, a display device caninclude a second substrate in addition to the substrate on which thelight modulator 200 is fabricated. The second substrate can also includeMEMS structures. The two substrates are laid on top of each other, withtheir sides over which their respective MEMS structures are built facingeach other. The spacers 220 serve to maintain a safe distance betweenthe two substrates. The top surfaces of the spacers 220 come in contactwith corresponding spacers on the other substrate. The spacers 220 arethree-dimensional structures having a number of sidewalls.

As will be discussed below, TFTs can be fabricated into the sidewalls ofthe spacers 220 or into the load anchors 212 and the drive anchors 218supporting the compliant load beams 214 and the compliant drive beams216.

FIG. 3 shows an example pixel circuit 300 that can be implemented forcontrolling a light modulator. In particular, the pixel circuit 300 canbe used to control dual actuator light modulators, such as the lightmodulator 200 shown in FIG. 2. The pixel circuit can be part of acontrol matrix that controls an array of pixels that incorporate lightmodulators similar to the light modulator 200.

The pixel circuit 300 includes a data loading circuit 304 coupled to anactuation circuit 306. The data loading circuit 304 receives and storesdata associated with the pixel, while the actuation circuit 306 actuatesthe light modulator 302 based on the data stored by the data loadingcircuit 304. In some implementations, various components of the pixelcircuit 300 are implemented using TFTs. In some implementations, TFTsmanufactured using materials such as amorphous-silicon,indium-gallium-zinc-oxide, or polycrystalline-silicon may be used. Insome other implementations, various components of the pixel circuit 300are implemented using MOSFETs. As will be readily understood by a personhaving ordinary skill in the art, TFTs are three terminal transistorshaving a gate terminal, source terminal, and a drain terminal. The gateterminal can act as a control terminal such that a voltage applied tothe gate terminal in relation to the source terminal can switch the TFTON or OFF. In the ON state, the TFT allows electrical current to flowfrom the source terminal to the drain terminal. In the OFF state, theTFT substantially blocks any current flow from the source to the drain.The implementation of the pixel circuit 300, however, is not limited toTFTs or MOSFETS, and other transistors such as bipolar junctiontransistors also may be utilized.

As mentioned above, the data loading circuit 304 is used to load dataassociated with the pixel. Specifically, the data loading circuit 304 iscoupled to a data interconnect (DI) 308, which is common to all thepixels in the same column of the array of pixels. The data interconnect308 is energized with a data voltage corresponding to the data to beloaded into the pixel. In some implementations, the data voltage can bea voltage between a minimum data voltage, such as ground, and a maximumdata voltage. In some such implementations, the minimum data voltage andthe maximum data voltage can represent one bit of digital data, i.e., a‘0’ or a ‘1’. In some implementations, the data voltage can be afunction of a pixel intensity value corresponding to that pixel.

The data loading circuit 304 is also coupled to a write enablinginterconnect (WEI) 310, which is common to all pixels in the same row ofthe array as the pixel associated with the pixel circuit 300. When thewrite enabling interconnect 310 is energized with a write enablingvoltage, the data loading circuit 304 accepts data provided on the datainterconnect 308.

To accomplish the data loading function, the data loading circuit 304includes a write enabling transistor 312 and a data storage capacitor314. The write enabling transistor 312 can be a controllable transistorswitch, the operation of which can be controlled by the write enablingvoltage on the write enabling interconnect 310. The first terminal, orthe gate terminal, of the write enabling transistor 312 can be coupledto the write enabling interconnect 310. The second terminal(drain/source terminal) of the write enabling transistor 312 can becoupled to the data interconnect 308, while the third terminal(drain/source terminal) can be coupled to the data storage capacitor314. The data storage capacitor 314 can be used to store the datavoltage that is representative of the data provided by the datainterconnect 308. One terminal of the data storage capacitor 314 iscoupled to the write enabling transistor 312, while the other terminalof the data storage capacitor 314 is coupled to a common interconnect(COM) 316. The common interconnect 316 provides a common ground voltage,or some other reference voltage, to pixels in multiple rows and columnsof the display apparatus.

As mentioned above, the data loading circuit 304 is coupled to theactuation circuit 306. Specifically, the data storage capacitor 314 ofthe data loading circuit 304 is coupled to the gate terminal of adischarge transistor 318 of the actuation circuit 306. The actuationcircuit 306 includes a charge path and a discharge path. The charge pathincludes a precharge transistor 320 and the discharge path includes thedischarge transistor 318. The charge path and the discharge path areused to change a voltage applied to a shutter terminal 322 of the lightmodulator 302. The gate terminal of the precharge transistor 320 iscoupled to a precharge interconnect (PCH) 324, while the other two(source/drain) terminals of the precharge transistor are coupled to anactuation interconnect (ACT) 326 and to the shutter terminal 322 of thelight modulator 302. When a precharge voltage is applied to theprecharge interconnect 324, the precharge transistor switches ON,causing the shutter terminal 322 to be charge to an actuation voltagemaintained on the actuation interconnect 326.

One of the source/drain terminals of the discharge transistor 318 iscoupled to the shutter terminal 322 of the light modulator 302 while theother of the source/drain terminals is coupled to an update interconnect(UPDATE) 328. When a voltage on the update interconnect 328 is lowered,the discharge transistor 318 discharges the shutter terminal 322 basedon the data voltage stored in the data storage capacitor 314. Forexample, if the data voltage stored in the data voltage capacitor ishigh, then the discharge transistor 318 can switch ON and discharge theshutter terminal 322. On the other hand, if the data voltage is low(i.e., below the threshold voltage of the discharge transistor 318),then the discharge transistor 318 can be switched OFF.

The light modulator 302, in addition to the shutter terminal 322, alsoincludes a shutter-close actuator terminal 330 and a shutter-openactuator terminal 332. The shutter-close actuator terminal 330 and theshutter-open actuator terminal 332 can be coupled to dual actuators of adual actuator light modulator. For example, referring to the dualactuator light modulator 200 shown in FIG. 2, the shutter-close actuatorterminal 330 and the shutter-open actuator terminal 332 can beelectrically coupled to the drive beams 216 of the first shutter-closeactuator 204 and the first shutter-open actuator 206, respectively.Furthermore, the shutter terminal 322 can be coupled to the load beams214 and the shutter 202.

The shutter-close actuator terminal 330 and the shutter-open actuatorterminal 332 can be maintained at substantially constant but differentvoltages. For example, the shutter-close actuator terminal 330 can bemaintained at a constant voltage of V_(c), while the shutter-openactuator terminal 332 can be maintained at a constant voltage of V_(o).The voltage on the shutter terminal 322, which is determined by thepixel circuit 300 based on the data voltage, determines which one of thelight modulator's shutter-close actuator and the shutter-open actuatoris actuated. In some implementations, if the voltage difference betweenthe shutter terminal 322 and the shutter-close actuator terminal 330 issubstantially equal to an actuation voltage, then the shutter-closeactuator is actuated and the shutter is moved to a CLOSED position. Onthe other hand, if the voltage difference between the shutter terminal322 and the shutter-open actuator terminal 332 is substantially equal tothe actuation voltage, then the shutter-open actuator is actuated andthe shutter is moved to an OPEN position. In some implementations,voltage V_(c) can be maintained at a voltage that is equal to theactuation voltage while the voltage V_(o) is maintained at ground orzero volts. In some other implementations, voltage V_(c) can bemaintained at zero volts while the voltage V_(o) can be maintained at avoltage that is equal to the actuation voltage.

During operation, the actuation interconnect 326 can be maintained at anactuation voltage. At the beginning of a frame period (during which animage frame is displayed) the update interconnect 328 is brought to ahigh voltage that is sufficient to maintain the discharge transistor 318in an OFF state irrespective of the voltage at the dischargetransistor's 318 gate terminal. Subsequently, the data interconnect 308is brought to a data voltage that corresponds to the data to be loadedinto the pixel circuit and the write enable interconnect 310 isenergized with a voltage that is sufficient to switch the write enabletransistor 312 ON. This causes the data storage capacitor 314 to becharged or discharged such that the voltage on the data storagecapacitor 314 is substantially equal to the data voltage.

After loading the data, the voltage on the precharge interconnect 324 isbrought sufficiently high to switch the precharge transistor 320 ON.This causes the shutter terminal 322 to be charged to a voltagesubstantially equal to the actuation voltage. If the voltage V_(o) atthe shutter-open actuator terminal 332 is maintained at zero volts, theshutter-open actuator would be actuated, and the shutter would be movedinto an OPEN position. On the other hand, if the voltage V_(c) at theshutter-close actuator terminal 330 instead is maintained at zero volts,then the shutter-close actuator would be actuated, and the shutter wouldbe moved into a CLOSED position. Thereafter, the voltage on theprecharge interconnect 324 is brought sufficiently low to switch theprecharge transistor 320 OFF. In some implementations, this voltage canbe about ground voltage.

When the voltage on the update interconnect 328 is brought to a lowlevel (typically less than the ground voltage) the discharge transistor318 can assume a state based on the data voltage stored in the datastorage capacitor 314. If the data voltage is sufficiently high toswitch the discharge transistor ON, then the shutter terminal 322, whichwas previously precharged to the actuation voltage, is discharged viathe discharge transistor 318. This causes the voltage on the shutterterminal 322 to be pulled low. As mentioned above, the voltagedifference between the shutter terminal 322 and each of the shutter-openactuator terminal 330 and the shutter-close actuator terminal 332determines which one of the dual actuators of the light modulator isactuated. Thus, for example, if the shutter voltage is pulled low, andV_(c) is being maintained at the actuation voltage, then the voltagedifference between the shutter terminal 322 and the shutter-closeterminal 330 will be equal to the actuation voltage. As a result, theshutter-close actuation would be actuated causing the shutter to move toa CLOSED position.

In some implementations, to reduce charge accumulation at the actuators,the magnitude of voltages V_(c) and V_(o) on the shutter-close actuatorterminal 322 and the shutter-open actuator terminal 330 can beperiodically reversed. For example, the V_(c) can be maintained at nearground voltage while V_(o) can be maintained at the actuation voltage.Thus, if the shutter voltage is pulled low, the shutter-open actuatorwould be actuated causing the shutter to move to the OPEN position. Tomaintain the relationship between the data input and the position of theshutter when the voltages on the shutter-close actuator terminal 322 andthe shutter-open actuator terminal 330 are reversed, the data voltage onthe data interconnect 308 can be inverted before being applied to thedata loading circuit 304.

Various components of the pixel circuit 300, including the write enabletransistor 312, the data storage capacitor 314, the precharge transistor320 and the discharge transistor 318, are typically fabricated on thesame substrate on which the light modulator 302 is built. As displayapparatus are developed to improve pixel resolution by increasing pixeldensity, the amount of space available per pixel on the substrate toaccommodate pixel circuitry to control each pixel becomes increasinglylimited. This challenge becomes particularly acute for pixel circuitshaving multiple active components, such as the pixel circuit 300.

In some implementations, the area of the substrate occupied by a pixelcircuit can be reduced if portions of the pixel circuit can be built inthree dimensions. For example, in some implementations, EMS displaysincorporate structures that extend outward from the surface of thesubstrate at relatively high aspect ratios. Incorporating circuitcomponents, such as transistors, into such structures can potentiallyreduce the area occupied by the circuit components within the plane ofthe substrate.

FIGS. 4A and 4B show isometric views of a portion of an example displayapparatus 400 having three-dimensional TFTs. In particular, the displayapparatus 400 can include raised structures into which TFTs can bebuilt. The display apparatus 400 includes an array of pixels 402. Eachpixel can include one or more light modulators and corresponding pixelcircuitry. In some implementations, the dual actuator light modulator200 shown in FIG. 2 and the pixel circuit 300 shown in FIG. 3 can beincorporated into the pixels 402. The display apparatus 400 can alsoinclude MEMS structures 404 fabricated on a transparent substrate 406(made, for example, from glass or plastic). The MEMS structures caninclude a plurality of layers of materials, conductors, semiconductors,dielectrics, etc. The MEMS structures can also include a plurality ofraised structures 408 that extend outward from the surface of thesubstrate 406. The raised structures 408 include at least one sidewall410 and a top surface 412. The sidewall 410 can be positioned at arelatively steep angle with respect to the substrate 406, and can have arelatively high aspect ratio, for example, greater than 4:1; however, itis understood that raised structures 408 can be fabricated with sidewall410 having various other angles with respect to the plane of thesubstrate 406 as well as other aspect ratios.

The display apparatus 400 can also include a plurality of interconnectsto carry electrical signals to and from the pixels 402. A subset ofthese interconnects is shown in FIG. 4A. In particular, FIG. 4A showsthe display apparatus 400 having a plurality of data interconnects 414and a plurality of write enable interconnects 416. In someimplementations, the data interconnects 414 and the write enableinterconnects 416 shown in FIG. 4A can be used to implement the datainterconnects 112 and the write enable interconnects 110, respectively,discussed above with reference to FIG. 1A. In some otherimplementations, the data interconnects 414 and the write enableinterconnects 416 shown in FIG. 4A can be used to implement the datainterconnect 308 and the write enable interconnect 310, respectively,shown in FIG. 3. The interconnects can be arranged such that one datainterconnect 414 is associated with each column of the array of pixels402 while one write enable interconnect 416 is associated with each rowof the array of pixels 402 of the data apparatus 400. In someimplementations, such as the one shown in FIG. 4A, the datainterconnects 414 can be fabricated over the top surfaces 412 of theraised structures 408. By fabricating the data interconnects 414 on thetop surface of the raised structures 408, capacitance between the datainterconnects 414 and other interconnects or conductors fabricated overthe substrate 406, beneath the raised structure 408, can be reduced.

In some implementations, at least one component of the pixels 402 can befabricated over or into the sidewalls 410 of the raised structures 408.For example, in FIG. 4A, a write enable transistor 418 of each pixel 402is fabricated on the sidewall 410 of an adjacent raised structure 408.The write enable transistor 418 can be similar to the write enabletransistor 312 of the pixel circuit 300 shown in FIG. 3. It isunderstood that in some other implementations, components other than thewrite enable transistor 418 can be fabricated on or into the sidewall410.

An expanded view of the write enable transistor 418 fabricated on thesidewall 410 of the raised structure 408 is shown in FIG. 4B. In someimplementations, the write enable transistor 418 can be a TFT. In someimplementations, the write enable transistor 418 can be a bottom gateTFT transistor. In such implementations, the gate of the TFT transistoris fabricated between an active semiconductor layer and the substrate406. In other implementations, the write enable transistor 418 can be atop gate TFT transistor, where the gate is fabricated on top of theactive semiconductor layer, which in turn is fabricated over thesubstrate. The gate (G) 420 of the write enable transistor 418 iscoupled to the write enable interconnect 416. The gate 420 can include alayer of conductive material and a layer of insulating material. As thewrite enable transistor 418 is a bottom gate TFT, the insulating layeris deposited on top of the conductive layer. In this manner, theconductive layer of the gate 420 is insulated from an activesemiconductor layer 422. The conductive layer of the gate 420 is used toelectrically couple the gate 420 to the write enable interconnect 416.Conductive materials such as, but not limited to, indium-tin-oxide(ITO), Al, or Ti can be utilized to form the conductive layer of thegate 420. Insulating materials such as silicon nitride (SiNx) and/orsilicon dioxide (SiO₂) can be utilized to form the insulating layer ofthe gate 420.

One of the source/drain terminals of the write enable transistor 418 iscoupled to the data interconnect 414, while the other of thesource/drain terminals is coupled to the remainder of the pixelcircuitry of the pixel 402. The active semiconductor 422 selectivelyprovides a channel between the two source/drain terminals of the writeenable transistor 418 depending upon the voltages applied to itsterminals. Materials such as, but not limited to, amorphoussemiconductors, amorphous silicon (a-Si), indium gallium zinc oxide(IGZO), indium gallium oxide (IGO), zinc indium oxide (ZIO), zinc tinoxide (ZTO), microcrystalline silicon, polycrystalline silicon, etc. canbe used for implementing the active semiconductor 422. When a voltageexceeding a threshold voltage is applied to the gate 420 of the writeenable transistor 418, the active semiconductor 422 allows current toflow between the two source/drain terminals. Thus, when a write enablevoltage is applied to the write enable interconnect 416, the writeenable transistor 418 is switched ON and results in the data voltage onthe data interconnect 414 being loaded into the pixel 402.

The operation of the write enable transistor 418 fabricated on thesidewall 410 is thus similar to the operation of a similar sized writeenable transistor that could be fabricated entirely on the substrate406. However, the write enable transistor 418 occupies relatively lessarea within the plane of the substrate 406. This reduces the substratearea needed per pixel. As a result, pixel density (typically measured inpixels-per-inch (PPI)) can be increased. In some implementations, theheight (h) to thickness (t) ratio of the transistors 418 can be at leastabout 1.4:1. In some other implementations, the height to thicknessratio can be as much as or greater than about 4:1.

While FIG. 4A shows the fabrication of a TFT over the sidewall of theraised MEMS structure 408, it is understood that the TFT can befabricated on or into the sidewalls other MEMS structures as well. Forexample, the TFT can be fabricated on or into the sidewalls of an anchoror a spacer. Referring to FIG. 2, the light modulator 200 includes loadanchors 212, which support the shutter 202 and the load beams 214, driveanchors 218, which support the drive beams 216, and spacers 220. Theseanchors and spacers 220 can also include sidewalls that form an anglewith the underlying substrate. As such, the sidewalls of these anchorsand spacers can be utilized for fabricating TFTs.

FIGS. 5A and 5B show isometric views of two example anchors having TFTsincorporated into their structure. In particular, FIG. 5A shows aU-shaped anchor 500 and FIG. 5B shows an L-shaped anchor 502. In someimplementations, the U-shaped anchor 500 shown in FIG. 5A can be used toimplement the drive anchor 218 in the light modulator 200 shown in FIG.2. In some implementations, the L-shaped anchor 502 can be used toimplement the load anchor 212 in the light modulator 200 shown in FIG.2.

The U-shaped anchor 500 includes a base portion 504, a top portion 506and a shelf 508. The base portion 504 can be coupled to a substrate overwhich the U-shaped anchor 500 is formed, and provides support andadhesion to the substrate. In some implementations, such as the oneshown in FIG. 5A, the base portion 504 is four-sided, unlike thethree-sided top portion 506. In some other implementations, the baseportion 504 can also be three sided like the top portion 506. The baseportion 504 and the top portion 506 can be formed over the sides of apatterned mold formed by one or more sacrificial material. The shelf508, which extends outward substantially horizontally from the topportion 506, can be formed over the top surface of the mold. TheU-shaped anchor 500 also includes a first compliant beam 510 a and asecond compliant beam 510 b extending outwards from the top portion 506.For sake of clarity, only portions of the first and second compliantbeams 510 a and 510 b are shown in FIG. 5A using broken lines. In someimplementations, the first and second compliant beams 510 a and 510 b inFIG. 5A can form the compliant drive beams 216 shown in FIG. 2. Thesizes and thicknesses of the base portion 504, the top portion 506 andthe shelf 508 can be selected to provide the desired stiffness to thefirst and second compliant beams 510 a and 510 b.

Any portion of the U-shaped anchor 500 can form a portion of a TFT. Insome implementations, the TFT can extend from the substrate over whichthe U-shaped anchor 500 is formed through the base portion 504, the topportion 506 up to the shelf 508. For example, in some implementations,one source/drain terminal of the TFT can be formed into the base portion504, the gate terminal, including a semiconductor channel can be formedinto the top portion 506, while the other of the source/drain terminalcan be formed into the shelf 508. In some implementations, one or moresides of the U-shaped anchor 500 may be utilized for forming the sameTFT. Such a configuration may be beneficial when TFTs of large channelwidths are desired.

Similar to the U-shaped anchor 500 shown in FIG. 5A, The L-shaped anchor502 shown in FIG. 5B also includes a base portion 504. However, unlikethe three sided top portion 506 of the U-shaped anchor 500, the L-shapedanchor 502 includes a two-sided top portion 512 disposed between thebase portion 504 and a two-sided shelf 514. In some implementations, thebase portion 504 may include only two sides. In some implementations, athird compliant beam 516 can extend outwards from the two-sided topportion 512. For clarity, only a portion of the third compliant beam 516is shown in FIG. 5B (using broken lines). In some implementations, thethird compliant beam 516 can be utilized as the compliant load beam 214of the light modulator 200 shown in FIG. 2.

Any portion of the L-shaped anchor 502 can form a portion of a TFT. Insome implementations, the base portion 504, the two-sided top portion512 and the two-sided shelf 514 can be formed of one or more portions ofthe TFT. In some implementations, one of the source/drain terminals ofthe TFT can be formed on the substrate over which the L-shaped anchor502 is formed, the gate terminal in addition to a channel semiconductorcan be formed as the two-sided top portion 512 while the other of thesource/drain terminal can be formed as the two-sided shelf 514. In someimplementations, more than one side of the L-shaped anchor 502 can beutilized for forming the same TFT.

In some implementations, one or more of the TFTs of the pixel circuit300 shown in FIG. 3 can be formed into the U-shaped anchor 500 and theL-shaped anchor 502. In particular, in some implementations, one or moreof the write enable transistor 312, the precharge transistor 320 and thedischarge transistor 318 can be fabricated on or into the U-shapedanchor 500. In some implementations, the precharge transistor 320 andthe discharge transistor 318 can be formed into two separate U-shapedanchor 500 or L-shaped anchors 502, where the anchors provide support tothe shutter of the light modulator 302.

The fabrication of one or more TFTs on or into one or more sidewalls ofthe U-shaped anchor 500 shown in FIG. 5A and the L-shaped anchor 502shown in FIG. 5B can reduce the area occupied by the TFTs within theplane of the substrate. This reduces the substrate area needed perpixel. As a result, pixel density (typically measured in pixels-per-inch(PPI)) can be increased.

In some implementations, one or more TFTs can be fabricated on or intoone or more sidewalls of spacers. For example, TFTs can be fabricated onor into the sidewalls of spacers 220 shown in FIG. 2. Fabricating TFTson the sidewalls of spacers 220 further reduces the substrate areaneeded per pixel. For example, in some implementations, the write enabletransistor 312 can be fabricated on or into one or more sidewalls of thespacer 220.

FIG. 6A-6J show example cross-sectional views of the results of variousmanufacturing stages of an example process to form an anchor 600incorporating a TFT into its structure. The anchor 600 can be utilizedas a supporting MEMS structure in display devices. In some otherimplementations, the manufacturing stages shown in FIGS. 6A-6J can beutilized to form TFTs on or into the U-shaped and L-shaped anchors 500and 502 shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B, respectively.

The process includes deposition and patterning of an aperture layer 604(the results of which are shown in FIG. 6A). The deposition andpatterning of the aperture layer 604 is followed by the deposition andpatterning of a metal layer 606 (the results of which are shown in FIG.6B). After depositing and patterning the metal layer 606, the processincludes the deposition and patterning of terminal contacts (the resultsof which are shown in FIG. 6C). The process also includes the formationof a mold over which the anchor 600 and the TFT can be built. Theformation of the mold includes the deposition and patterning of a firstsacrificial layer 612 and the deposition and patterning of a secondsacrificial layer 616 (the results of which are shown in FIGS. 6D and6E, respectively). The process further includes the deposition andpatterning of a first anchor material 622 (the results of which areshown in FIG. 6F). The process further includes the formation of a gateand conductive channel of the TFT. This includes the deposition andpatterning of a gate metal 626, followed by the deposition and formationof the gate dielectric 630 and the deposition and patterning of theactive semiconductor 632 (the results of which are shown in FIGS. 6G,6H, and 6I, respectively). The process further includes the formation ofthe source/drain terminals by depositing and patterning a source/drainmetal layer 634 (the results of which are shown in FIG. 6J).

As indicated above, the process begins with the deposition andpatterning of an aperture layer 604 (the results of which are shown inFIG. 6A). In some implementations, the substrate 602 can be formed fromtransparent materials such as glass or plastic. An aperture layer 604can be deposited over the substrate 602. The aperture layer 604 has beenetched to form apertures (not shown) corresponding to a set of lightmodulators (not shown) as shown in FIG. 2. The aperture layer 604 caninclude a light reflecting layer for reflecting light that is not passedthrough the apertures back towards the backlight. This reflectivefeature of the light reflecting layer can be used for light recycling,which improves light output of the backlight. In some implementations,the reflective aperture layer 604 can be formed from a reflectivematerial, such as a reflective metal or a stack of thin films forming adielectric mirror. In some implementations, a light absorbing layer maybe deposited over the aperture layer for improving the contrast ratio ofthe display.

The manufacturing process continues with the deposition and patterningof a metal layer 606. FIG. 6B shows the results of this processingstage. The metal layer 606 can be photomasked and etched to forminterconnects that can provide signals to and from TFTs and other pixelcircuitry. As shown in FIG. 6B, the metal layer is patterned to so thatelectrical connections can be made to terminal contacts of the TFT,which are to be subsequently deposited and patterned. In someimplementations, materials such as, but not limited to, aluminum (Al),titanium (Ti), copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), etc. can be utilized to formthe metal layer 606. A first passivation layer 608 is deposited over themetal layer 606 to insulate and protect the metal layer 606. The firstpassivation layer 608 can be patterned and etched to expose portions ofthe underlying metal layer 606. For example, the first passivation layer608 is etched at regions 608 a, 608 b, and 608 c, where terminalcontacts of the TFT can be formed such that they make electrical contactwith the metal layer 606. Materials such as, but not limited to aluminumoxide (Al₂O₃), chromium (III) oxide (Cr₂O₃), titanium oxide (TiO₂),hafnium oxide (HfO₂), vanadium oxide (V₂O₅), niobium oxide (Nb₂O₅),tantalum pentoxide (Ta₂O₅), SiO₂, or silicon nitride (Si₃N_(x)), etc.can be utilized for forming the first passivation layer 608.

FIG. 6C shows the result of deposition and patterning of TFT terminalcontacts. In particular, a first gate contact 610 a, a source/draincontact 610 b, and a second gate contact 610 c are formed at regions 608a, 608 b, and 608 c, respectively. As will be described below, the firstand second gate contacts 610 a and 610 c electrically connect the gateterminal of the TFT to a first portion of the underlying metal layer606, while the source/drain contact 610 b electrically connects one ofthe source/drain terminals of the TFT to a different portion of themetal layer 606. The terminal contacts 610 a, 610 b, and 610 c can beformed by deposition and patterning of conductive materials such as Al,Cu, Ti, Ni, etc. In some implementations, ITO or other conductive oxidescan also be utilized.

FIG. 6D shows the result of deposition and patterning of the firstsacrificial layer 612. The first sacrificial layer provides a foundationover which the anchor 600 and the TFT can be fabricated. As such, ananchor region 614 is provided for the formation of the anchor 600 andthe TFT. The first sacrificial layer 612 can be formed using materialssuch as, but not limited to, polyamide, fluoropolymer, benzocyclobutene,polyphenylquin-oxylene, parylene, or polynorbornene. In someimplementations, the first sacrificial layer can be patterned usingstandard photolithography techniques.

The patterning of the first sacrificial layer 612 can be followed by thedeposition and patterning of the second sacrificial layer 616, theresult of which is shown in FIG. 6E. The second sacrificial layer 616 ispatterned to expose the terminal contacts 610 a, 610 b, and 610 c in theanchor region 614. The patterning of the second sacrificial layer 616 inthe anchor region 614 results in the formation of a first mold sidewall620 a and a second mold sidewall 620 b. As will be discussed furtherbelow, the first and second mold sidewalls 620 a and 620 b can beutilized to form a TFT into the sidewalls of an anchor. The secondsacrificial layer 616 is patterned to also form a beam region 618 toexpose additional mold sidewalls for the formation of compliant beams.In some implementations, materials and techniques for the deposition andpatterning of the second sacrificial layer 616 can be similar to theones employed for the deposition and patterning of the first sacrificiallayer 612.

FIG. 6F shows the result of deposition and patterning of the firstanchor material 622. The first anchor material 622 is patterned suchthat the first anchor material 622 is deposited on the first and secondmold sidewall 620 a and 620 b, and on the additional sidewalls near thebeam region 618. The first anchor material 622 deposited on the firstand second mold sidewalls 620 a and 620 b can provide mechanicalstrength to the anchor. The first anchor material 622 is also patternedsuch that the contacts 610 a, 610 b, and 610 c remain exposed.Furthermore, the first anchor material 622 forms the first and secondcompliant beams 624 a and 624 b on the sidewalls of the beam region 618.The first and second compliant beams 624 a and 624 b can be utilized inan actuator for actuating a light modulator supported by the anchor 600.Materials such as, but not limited to, amorphous silicon (a-Si),hydrogenated a-Si (a-Si:H), etc. can be used as the first anchormaterial 622. Deposition techniques such as, but not limited to,chemical vapor deposition (CVD), plasma-enhanced chemical vapordeposition (PECVD), etc., may be used for the deposition of the firstanchor material 622. Patterning of the first anchor material 622 can becarried out, for example, using photomask and anisotropic etching.

FIG. 6G shows the result of deposition and patterning of the gate metal626. After deposition, the gate metal 626 is patterned such the gatemetal 626 remains over the first anchor material 622 near the first andsecond mold sidewalls 620 a and 620 b. The gate metal 626 makes contactwith first and second gate contacts 610 a and 610 c. The gate metal 626can also be patterned such that it remains over the top surface of thesecond sacrificial layer 616 at regions 628 a and 628 b for theformation of a second source/drain contact. Materials such as Al, Cu,Ti, Ni, etc., may be used as the gate metal 626. Deposition techniquessuch as, but not limited to, chemical vapor deposition (CVD),plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD), etc., may be used forthe deposition of the gate metal 626. Patterning of the gate metal 626can be carried out, for example, using a photomask and an anisotropicetching.

The formation of the gate metal 626 can be followed by the depositionand patterning of the gate dielectric 630, the result of which is shownin FIG. 6H. The gate metal 626 and the gate dielectric 630 together formthe gate of the TFT. The gate dielectric 630 can be utilized to insulatethe gate metal 626 from various other layers of the TFT. As such, thegate dielectric 630 can be patterned to cover the gate metal 626. Thegate dielectric 630, however, may leave some regions, such as regions618, of the gate metal 626 uncovered to allow the gate metal 626 to makecontact with source/drain terminal contacts. In some implementations,aluminum oxide (Al₂O₃), silicon oxide (SiO₂), tantalum pentoxide(Ta₂O₅), or silicon nitride (Si₃N₄) can be used as the gate dielectric630. In some implementations, the gate dielectric 630 can be depositedusing atomic layer deposition, sputtering and evaporation, etc.

FIG. 6I shows result of deposition and patterning of the activesemiconductor 632. The active semiconductor 632 is deposited and thenpatterned such that it remains over the gate dielectric 630 on thesidewalls 620 a and 620 b. A portion of the active semiconductor 632 isalso patterned to remain over the top surface of the second sacrificialmaterial 616 to allow electrical contact with source/drain terminalcontacts of the TFT. The active semiconductor 632 provides acontrollable conductive channel between the source/drain terminals ofthe TFT. Specifically, the active semiconductor 632 becomes conductivewhen the gate metal 626 is energized with a voltage that is greater thana threshold voltage of the TFT. In some implementations, materials suchas a-Si, indium gallium zinc oxide (IGZO), microcrystalline silicon,etc., can be utilized for forming the active semiconductor 632. In someimplementations, the active semiconductor 632 can be deposited usingatomic layer deposition, sputtering and evaporation, etc., and patternedusing standard photolithography processes.

After the formation of the active semiconductor 632, the source/drainmetal 634 is deposited and patterned, the result of which is shown inFIG. 6J. The source/drain metal 634 forms the source/drain terminals ofthe TFT. The source/drain metal 634 makes contact with the activesemiconductor 632 at regions 636 to form the source/drain terminals.Thus, one source/drain terminal and the gate terminal are of the TFT issituated at the base or floor of the anchor 600 while the other one ofthe source/drain terminal is situated at the top of the anchor 600. Insome implementations, the ratio of the height (h) of the TFT to itsthickness (t) can be at least about 1.4:1. In some otherimplementations, the ratio of the height to its thickness can be as muchas or greater than about 4:1.

In some implementations, a passivation layer can be deposited over allexposed materials shown in FIG. 6J. Such passivation material canprotect the anchor 600 and the TFT from interaction with materials thatmay be used for additional fabrication processes that may follow as wellas against fluids in which the anchor 600 may be immersed duringoperation.

FIGS. 7A and 7B show example cross sectional and top views,respectively, of the result of an intermediate manufacturing stage of anexample process to form a TFT/spacer 700. The TFT/spacer 700 is a spacerthat incorporates a TFT into its structure. In particular, FIGS. 7A and7B show the stage of manufacturing after the formation of the TFT/spacer700 prior to the deposition of a passivation layer. The cross-sectionalview shown in FIG. 7A is taken along a plane (denoted by axis AA) thatis normal to the TFT/spacer 700 shown in FIG. 7B. For the sake ofclarity the sacrificial mold 716, shown in the cross-sectional view ofFIG. 7A, is not shown in the top view of FIG. 7B.

The TFT/spacer 700 shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B differs from the anchor 600and the TFT shown in FIG. 6J in that while at least one source/drainterminal of the TFT shown in FIG. 6J is situated at the top of theanchor 600, all the terminals (source, drain and gate) of the TFT/spacer700 shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B are situated at the base or floor of theTFT/spacer 700. FIGS. 7A and 7B also show utilizing the sidewalls toincrease the effective width of the TFT/spacer 700. In someimplementations, the TFT/spacer 700 can be utilized in forming thespacer 220 shown in FIG. 2.

The TFT/spacer 700 built on a substrate 702. The substrate 702 can besimilar to the substrate 602 discussed above in FIG. 6A. An aperturelayer 704 is deposited and patterned over the substrate 702. Theaperture layer 704 can be similar to the aperture layer 604 discussedabove in FIG. 6A, and can be patterned to form apertures for allowinglight generated by a backlight to pass through towards a lightmodulator. The aperture layer can also include a rear reflective coatingfor providing light recycling and a front light absorbing coating forimproving the contrast ratio.

The TFT/spacer 700 formed, in part, over the mold sidewalls of a firstsacrificial layer 712 and a second sacrificial layer 716. The first andsecond sacrificial layers 712 and 716 can be similar to the first andsecond sacrificial layers 612 and 616 discussed above in relation toFIGS. 6D and 6E.

A metal layer 706 and a first passivation layer 708 are patterned toform regions for the formation of terminal contacts 710 a, 710 b, and710 c. In some implementations, such as the one shown in FIGS. 7A and7B, the terminal contacts 710 a and 710 c can electrically connect thesource/drain terminals 748 and 752 of the TFT/spacer 700 to one portionof the underlying metal layer 706, while the terminal contact 710 b canelectrically connect a gate terminal 746 of the TFT/spacer 700 toanother portion of the metal layer 706. The metal layer 706 can bepatterned to form various interconnects for carrying electrical signalsto and from the terminals of the TFT/spacer 700.

Referring to FIG. 7A, the TFT/spacer 700 includes the gate terminal 746,and two source/drain terminals 748 and 752. The gate terminal 746includes a stack of a support material 744, a gate metal 728 and adielectric 742 fabricated below an active semiconductor 732. TheTFT/spacer 700 shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B is a bottom-gate TFT. However, aperson having ordinary skill in the art will readily understand that theTFT/spacer 700 can also be fabricated in a top-gate configuration. Thesupport material 744 can be a conducting material such as, but notlimited to, a-Si, a-si:H, etc., and provide structural strength to theTFT/spacer 700. The gate metal 728 can also be a conductor, such as, butnot limited to, Al, Cu, Ti, Ni, etc. The dielectric 742 insulates thegate metal 728 from the active semiconductor 732.

Each of the two source/drain terminals 748 and 752 include a stack ofthe support material 744 and a source/drain metal 726. The source drainmetal 726 can include conductors such as, but not limited to, Al, Cu,Ti, Ni, etc. The source drain terminals 748 and 752 also include anadditional metal layer 734 for electrically connecting the source/drainmetal 726 to the active semiconductor 732. The source/drain terminals748 and 752 may be coated with a dielectric material 730 for providinginsulation to the source/drain metal 726.

As shown in the cross-section and the top-view of the TFT/spacer 700 inFIGS. 7A and 7B, the TFT/spacer 700 forms a bowl shape having a base (orfloor) 738 and a top portion 740. Four sidewalls, a first sidewall 720a, a second sidewall 720 b, a third sidewall 720 c and a fourth sidewall720 d extend from the base 738 to the top portion 740. Thecross-sections of the first and the second sidewalls 720 a and 720 b canbe seen in FIG. 7A. The first and second sidewalls 720 a and 720 b canhave a relatively steep angle with respect to the substrate 702. In someimplementations, the first and second sidewalls 720 a and 720 b can besubstantially normal with respect to the substrate 702. The width of thefirst and second sidewalls 720 a and 720 b from the base 738 to the topportion 740 can indicated by W_(sidwall), as shown in FIG. 7A.Furthermore, the first and second sidewalls 720 a and 720 b can occupy awidth of W_(sub) over the plane of the substrate 702. Generally,W_(sidwall) is greater than W_(sub). The third and fourth sidewalls 720c and 720 d can also have dimensions similar to that of the first andsecond sidewalls 720 a and 720 b.

The effective width of the TFT/spacer 700 can be increased bymanufacturing the gate and source drain terminals into the sidewalls ofthe TFT/spacer 700 resulting in only a small impact on the area occupiedby the TFT/spacer 700 over the substrate 702. Referring to FIG. 7B, thegate terminal 746 of the TFT/spacer 700 extends from the base 738 to thetop portion 740 of the TFT/spacer 700 along the third and fourthsidewalls 720 c and 720 d. The effective width of the TFT/spacer 700 isa function of the width of the gate terminal 746. The width of the gateterminal 746 can be a sum of the widths of the gate terminal 746 overthe base 738, the third sidewall 720 c, the fourth sidewall 720 d andthe top portion 740. As shown in FIG. 7B, the width of the gate terminal746 over the base 738 is equal to W_(base). Furthermore the widths ofthe gate terminal 746 over the top portion 740 adjacent to the third andfourth sidewalls 720 c and 720 d is each equal to W_(top). As mentionedabove, the width of the third and fourth sidewalls 720 c and 720 d isindicated by W_(sidewall). Therefore, the width of the gate terminal 746over each of the third and fourth sidewalls can also be equal toW_(sidewall). Thus, the total width of the gate terminal 746 can beequal to W_(base)+2(W_(top)+W_(sidwall)). However, the width of the areaoccupied by the gate terminal 746 over the substrate is equal toW_(base)+2(W_(top)+W_(sub)). As W_(sidwall) is greater than W_(sub), thetotal width of the gate terminal 746 is greater than the width of thearea occupied by the gate terminal 746 over the substrate 702. In someimplementations, the ratio of the height of the TFT/spacer 700 to itsthickness can be about 1.4:1. In some implementations, the ratio can beas much as or greater than about 4:1.

In some implementations, building components on or as part ofthree-dimensional structures can be used to reduce a bezel size of adisplay device. For example, building components on or as part ofthree-dimensional structures can be utilized for reducing the bezel sizeof host device 120 shown in FIG. 1B. As discussed above, the host device120 can include a data apparatus 128, which, in turn, can includevarious drivers such as scan drivers 130, data drivers 132, commondrivers 138, and lamp drivers 148. In some implementations, one or moreof these drivers may be positioned along an edge of a substrate overwhich the display apparatus 128 is built. For example, in someimplementations, some circuitry of the scan drivers 130 may be locatedat one or both ends of each row of the array 150 of display elements. Insome other implementations, circuitry from other drivers, such as thedata drivers 132, common drivers, 138, or the lamp drivers 148, of thedisplay apparatus 128 may also occupy area along the perimeter of thehost device 120.

The area occupied by these circuits (or for that matter any circuitry ofthe host device 120) along the ends of the rows or along the edges ofthe host device 120 can result in an increase in the size of the bezelalong the perimeter of the host device 120. An increase in the size ofthe bezel may, in turn, decrease the active display area of the hostdevice 120. In some implementations, to reduce the bezel size, thecircuitry along the edges of the host device 120 can be built on theglass substrate.

To further reduce the bezel size, in some implementations, one or morecomponents of the circuitry located along the edges of the host device120 can be built on or as part of three-dimensional structures on theglass substrate. For example, the components can be built on or as partof sidewalls of three-dimensional structures that are formed along theedges of the substrate. As discussed above, in relation to FIGS. 4A-7B,building components on or as part of three-dimensional structuresreduces the area occupied by the components over the substrate. Thus,the area occupied by the circuitry along the edge of the host device 120can be reduced. This, in turn, reduces the size of the bezel around theactive display area of the host device 120.

In some implementations, one or more components of the circuitry alongthe edges of the host device 120 can include TFTs, capacitors,interconnects, etc. These components can be built using techniquessimilar to the ones described above in relation to FIGS. 4A-7B.

FIG. 8 shows an example flow diagram of a process 800 for fabricating anexample MEMS structure having three-dimensional transistors. Inparticular, the process 800 includes depositing a sacrificial mold overa substrate (stage 802), patterning the sacrificial mold to form atleast one surface that is substantially normal to the substrate (stage804), depositing a first conductor over the sacrificial mold such thatthe first conductor coats the surface of the sacrificial mold that issubstantially normal to the substrate (stage 806), patterning the firstconductor to form at least one of a source, drain, and gate terminal ofthe thin film transistor (stage 808), depositing a semiconductormaterial over the patterned sacrificial mold (stage 810), and patterningthe deposited semiconductor material to form a channel of the thin-filmtransistor (stage 812).

The process 800 includes depositing a sacrificial mold over a substrate(stage 802). One example of this process stage was discussed above inrelation to FIGS. 6D and 6E, in which the first sacrificial layer 612and the second sacrificial layer 616 are deposited over the substrate602.

The process 800 further includes patterning the sacrificial mold to format least one surface that is substantially normal to the substrate(stage 804). One example of this process stage was discussed above inrelation to FIGS. 6D and 6E, in which the first sacrificial layer 612and the second sacrificial layer 616 are patterned to form an anchorregion 614. The anchor region 614 includes sidewalls 620 a and 620 b,which are substantially normal to the substrate 602.

The process 800 further includes depositing a first conductor over thesacrificial mold such that the first conductor coats the surface of thesacrificial mold that is substantially normal to the substrate (stage806). One example of this process stage was discussed above in relationto FIG. 6G, in which a gate metal 626, which is a conductor, isdeposited over the sidewalls 620 a and 620 b of the first and secondsacrificial layers 612 and 616.

The process 800 also includes patterning the first conductor to form atleast one of a source, drain, and gate terminal of the thin filmtransistor (stage 808). One example of this process stage was discussedabove in relation to FIG. 6G, in which the gate metal 626 is patternedto form a gate terminal of the TFT formed into the first and secondsidewalls 620 a and 620 b of the first and second sacrificial layers 612and 616.

The process 800 additionally includes depositing a semiconductormaterial over the patterned sacrificial mold (stage 810), and patterningthe deposited semiconductor material to form a channel of the thin-filmtransistor such that a ratio of a height of the thin-film transistorfrom the substrate to a thickness of the thin-film transistor is atleast about 4:1 (stage 812). One example of these process stages wasdiscussed above in relation to FIG. 6I, in which the activesemiconductor 632 is deposited and patterned into the first and secondsidewalls 620 a and 620 b to form a channel of the TFT. Also, asdiscussed above with respect to FIG. 6J, the ratio of the height (h) ofthe TFT to its thickness (t) can be as much as or greater than about4:1.

FIGS. 9A and 9B show system block diagrams of an example display device40 that includes a plurality of display elements. The display device 40can be, for example, a smart phone, a cellular or mobile telephone.However, the same components of the display device 40 or slightvariations thereof are also illustrative of various types of displaydevices such as televisions, computers, tablets, e-readers, hand-helddevices and portable media devices.

The display device 40 includes a housing 41, a display 30, an antenna43, a speaker 45, an input device 48 and a microphone 46. The housing 41can be formed from any of a variety of manufacturing processes,including injection molding, and vacuum forming. In addition, thehousing 41 may be made from any of a variety of materials, including,but not limited to: plastic, metal, glass, rubber and ceramic, or acombination thereof. The housing 41 can include removable portions (notshown) that may be interchanged with other removable portions ofdifferent color, or containing different logos, pictures, or symbols.

The display 30 may be any of a variety of displays, including abi-stable or analog display, as described herein. The display 30 alsocan be configured to include a flat-panel display, such as plasma,electroluminescent (EL) displays, OLED, super twisted nematic (STN)display, LCD, or thin-film transistor (TFT) LCD, or a non-flat-paneldisplay, such as a cathode ray tube (CRT) or other tube device. Inaddition, the display 30 can include a mechanical light modulator-baseddisplay, as described herein.

The components of the display device 40 are schematically illustrated inFIG. 9B. The display device 40 includes a housing 41 and can includeadditional components at least partially enclosed therein. For example,the display device 40 includes a network interface 27 that includes anantenna 43 which can be coupled to a transceiver 47. The networkinterface 27 may be a source for image data that could be displayed onthe display device 40. Accordingly, the network interface 27 is oneexample of an image source module, but the processor 21 and the inputdevice 48 also may serve as an image source module. The transceiver 47is connected to a processor 21, which is connected to conditioninghardware 52. The conditioning hardware 52 may be configured to conditiona signal (such as filter or otherwise manipulate a signal). Theconditioning hardware 52 can be connected to a speaker 45 and amicrophone 46. The processor 21 also can be connected to an input device48 and a driver controller 29. The driver controller 29 can be coupledto a frame buffer 28, and to an array driver 22, which in turn can becoupled to a display array 30. One or more elements in the displaydevice 40, including elements not specifically depicted in FIG. 9A, canbe configured to function as a memory device and be configured tocommunicate with the processor 21. In some implementations, a powersupply 50 can provide power to substantially all components in theparticular display device 40 design.

The network interface 27 includes the antenna 43 and the transceiver 47so that the display device 40 can communicate with one or more devicesover a network. The network interface 27 also may have some processingcapabilities to relieve, for example, data processing requirements ofthe processor 21. The antenna 43 can transmit and receive signals. Insome implementations, the antenna 43 transmits and receives RF signalsaccording to the IEEE 16.11 standard, including IEEE 16.11(a), (b), or(g), or the IEEE 802.11 standard, including IEEE 802.11a, b, g, n, andfurther implementations thereof. In some other implementations, theantenna 43 transmits and receives RF signals according to the Bluetooth®standard. In the case of a cellular telephone, the antenna 43 can bedesigned to receive code division multiple access (CDMA), frequencydivision multiple access (FDMA), time division multiple access (TDMA),Global System for Mobile communications (GSM), GSM/General Packet RadioService (GPRS), Enhanced Data GSM Environment (EDGE), TerrestrialTrunked Radio (TETRA), Wideband-CDMA (W-CDMA), Evolution Data Optimized(EV-DO), 1xEV-DO, EV-DO Rev A, EV-DO Rev B, High Speed Packet Access(HSPA), High Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA), High Speed UplinkPacket Access (HSUPA), Evolved High Speed Packet Access (HSPA+), LongTerm Evolution (LTE), AMPS, or other known signals that are used tocommunicate within a wireless network, such as a system utilizing 3G, 4Gor 5G technology. The transceiver 47 can pre-process the signalsreceived from the antenna 43 so that they may be received by and furthermanipulated by the processor 21. The transceiver 47 also can processsignals received from the processor 21 so that they may be transmittedfrom the display device 40 via the antenna 43.

In some implementations, the transceiver 47 can be replaced by areceiver. In addition, in some implementations, the network interface 27can be replaced by an image source, which can store or generate imagedata to be sent to the processor 21. The processor 21 can control theoverall operation of the display device 40. The processor 21 receivesdata, such as compressed image data from the network interface 27 or animage source, and processes the data into raw image data or into aformat that can be readily processed into raw image data. The processor21 can send the processed data to the driver controller 29 or to theframe buffer 28 for storage. Raw data typically refers to theinformation that identifies the image characteristics at each locationwithin an image. For example, such image characteristics can includecolor, saturation and gray-scale level.

The processor 21 can include a microcontroller, CPU, or logic unit tocontrol operation of the display device 40. The conditioning hardware 52may include amplifiers and filters for transmitting signals to thespeaker 45, and for receiving signals from the microphone 46. Theconditioning hardware 52 may be discrete components within the displaydevice 40, or may be incorporated within the processor 21 or othercomponents.

The driver controller 29 can take the raw image data generated by theprocessor 21 either directly from the processor 21 or from the framebuffer 28 and can re-format the raw image data appropriately for highspeed transmission to the array driver 22. In some implementations, thedriver controller 29 can re-format the raw image data into a data flowhaving a raster-like format, such that it has a time order suitable forscanning across the display array 30. Then the driver controller 29sends the formatted information to the array driver 22. Although adriver controller 29, such as an LCD controller, is often associatedwith the system processor 21 as a stand-alone Integrated Circuit (IC),such controllers may be implemented in many ways. For example,controllers may be embedded in the processor 21 as hardware, embedded inthe processor 21 as software, or fully integrated in hardware with thearray driver 22.

The array driver 22 can receive the formatted information from thedriver controller 29 and can re-format the video data into a parallelset of waveforms that are applied many times per second to the hundreds,and sometimes thousands (or more), of leads coming from the display'sx-y matrix of display elements. In some implementations, the arraydriver 22 and the display array 30 are a part of a display module. Insome implementations, the driver controller 29, the array driver 22, andthe display array 30 are a part of the display module.

In some implementations, the driver controller 29, the array driver 22,and the display array 30 are appropriate for any of the types ofdisplays described herein. For example, the driver controller 29 can bea conventional display controller or a bi-stable display controller(such as a mechanical light modulator display element controller).Additionally, the array driver 22 can be a conventional driver or abi-stable display driver (such as a mechanical light modulator displayelement controller). Moreover, the display array 30 can be aconventional display array or a bi-stable display array (such as adisplay including an array of mechanical light modulator displayelements). In some implementations, the driver controller 29 can beintegrated with the array driver 22. Such an implementation can beuseful in highly integrated systems, for example, mobile phones,portable-electronic devices, watches or small-area displays.

In some implementations, the input device 48 can be configured to allow,for example, a user to control the operation of the display device 40.The input device 48 can include a keypad, such as a QWERTY keyboard or atelephone keypad, a button, a switch, a rocker, a touch-sensitivescreen, a touch-sensitive screen integrated with the display array 30,or a pressure- or heat-sensitive membrane. The microphone 46 can beconfigured as an input device for the display device 40. In someimplementations, voice commands through the microphone 46 can be usedfor controlling operations of the display device 40.

The power supply 50 can include a variety of energy storage devices. Forexample, the power supply 50 can be a rechargeable battery, such as anickel-cadmium battery or a lithium-ion battery. In implementationsusing a rechargeable battery, the rechargeable battery may be chargeableusing power coming from, for example, a wall socket or a photovoltaicdevice or array. Alternatively, the rechargeable battery can bewirelessly chargeable. The power supply 50 also can be a renewableenergy source, a capacitor, or a solar cell, including a plastic solarcell or solar-cell paint. The power supply 50 also can be configured toreceive power from a wall outlet.

In some implementations, control programmability resides in the drivercontroller 29 which can be located in several places in the electronicdisplay system. In some other implementations, control programmabilityresides in the array driver 22. The above-described optimization may beimplemented in any number of hardware and/or software components and invarious configurations.

As used herein, a phrase referring to “at least one of” a list of itemsrefers to any combination of those items, including single members. Asan example, “at least one of: a, b, or c” is intended to cover: a, b, c,a-b, a-c, b-c, and a-b-c.

The various illustrative logics, logical blocks, modules, circuits andalgorithm processes described in connection with the implementationsdisclosed herein may be implemented as electronic hardware, computersoftware, or combinations of both. The interchangeability of hardwareand software has been described generally, in terms of functionality,and illustrated in the various illustrative components, blocks, modules,circuits and processes described above. Whether such functionality isimplemented in hardware or software depends upon the particularapplication and design constraints imposed on the overall system.

The hardware and data processing apparatus used to implement the variousillustrative logics, logical blocks, modules and circuits described inconnection with the aspects disclosed herein may be implemented orperformed with a general purpose single- or multi-chip processor, adigital signal processor (DSP), an application specific integratedcircuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or otherprogrammable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discretehardware components, or any combination thereof designed to perform thefunctions described herein. A general purpose processor may be amicroprocessor, or, any conventional processor, controller,microcontroller, or state machine. A processor also may be implementedas a combination of computing devices, e.g., a combination of a DSP anda microprocessor, a plurality of microprocessors, one or moremicroprocessors in conjunction with a DSP core, or any other suchconfiguration. In some implementations, particular processes and methodsmay be performed by circuitry that is specific to a given function.

In one or more aspects, the functions described may be implemented inhardware, digital electronic circuitry, computer software, firmware,including the structures disclosed in this specification and theirstructural equivalents thereof, or in any combination thereof.Implementations of the subject matter described in this specificationalso can be implemented as one or more computer programs, i.e., one ormore modules of computer program instructions, encoded on a computerstorage media for execution by, or to control the operation of, dataprocessing apparatus.

Various modifications to the implementations described in thisdisclosure may be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and thegeneric principles defined herein may be applied to otherimplementations without departing from the spirit or scope of thisdisclosure. Thus, the claims are not intended to be limited to theimplementations shown herein, but are to be accorded the widest scopeconsistent with this disclosure, the principles and the novel featuresdisclosed herein.

Additionally, a person having ordinary skill in the art will readilyappreciate, the terms “upper” and “lower” are sometimes used for ease ofdescribing the figures, and indicate relative positions corresponding tothe orientation of the figure on a properly oriented page, and may notreflect the proper orientation of any device as implemented.

Certain features that are described in this specification in the contextof separate implementations also can be implemented in combination in asingle implementation. Conversely, various features that are describedin the context of a single implementation also can be implemented inmultiple implementations separately or in any suitable subcombination.Moreover, although features may be described above as acting in certaincombinations and even initially claimed as such, one or more featuresfrom a claimed combination can in some cases be excised from thecombination, and the claimed combination may be directed to asubcombination or variation of a subcombination.

Similarly, while operations are depicted in the drawings in a particularorder, this should not be understood as requiring that such operationsbe performed in the particular order shown or in sequential order, orthat all illustrated operations be performed, to achieve desirableresults. Further, the drawings may schematically depict one more exampleprocesses in the form of a flow diagram. However, other operations thatare not depicted can be incorporated in the example processes that areschematically illustrated. For example, one or more additionaloperations can be performed before, after, simultaneously, or betweenany of the illustrated operations. In certain circumstances,multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous. Moreover, theseparation of various system components in the implementations describedabove should not be understood as requiring such separation in allimplementations, and it should be understood that the described programcomponents and systems can generally be integrated together in a singlesoftware product or packaged into multiple software products.Additionally, other implementations are within the scope of thefollowing claims. In some cases, the actions recited in the claims canbe performed in a different order and still achieve desirable results.

What is claimed is:
 1. An apparatus comprising: a substrate; anelectromechanical systems (EMS) structure having a first sidewallextending up from the substrate, wherein the first sidewall is formedfrom a plurality of layers of material; and a thin-film transistorhaving a component that forms a portion of at least a first layer of thefirst sidewall, wherein the thin-film transistor includes a gateterminal and a channel and wherein the gate terminal is between thesubstrate and the channel, wherein a ratio of a height of the firstsidewall over a thickness of the first sidewall is at least about 4:1.2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first layer of the firstsidewall forms the channel of the thin-film transistor, and the firstlayer includes an amorphous semiconductor.
 3. The apparatus of claim 1,wherein at least a second layer of the first sidewall forms the gateterminal of the thin-film transistor.
 4. The apparatus of claim 1,wherein the first layer of the first sidewall forms a source terminal ora drain terminal of the thin-film transistor.
 5. The apparatus of claim1, wherein the EMS structure includes a floor, and at least one layer ofmaterial of the floor of the EMS structure forms a gate terminal of thethin-film transistor.
 6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the EMSstructure includes an elevated surface that is elevated with respect tothe floor, and at least one layer of material of the elevated surfaceforms a source or a drain terminal of the thin-film transistor.
 7. Theapparatus of claim 1, wherein the EMS structure includes a floor, and atleast one layer of material of the floor of the EMS structure forms asource or drain terminal of the thin-film transistor.
 8. The apparatusof claim 7, wherein the EMS structure includes an elevated surface thatis elevated with respect to the floor, and at least one layer ofmaterial of the elevated surface forms a gate terminal of the thin-filmtransistor.
 9. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a EMS lightmodulator suspended over the substrate, wherein: the EMS structureincludes an anchor that supports a portion of an actuator configured tocontrol the state of the EMS light modulator; and the transistorcontrols the application of an actuation voltage to the portion of theactuator.
 10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first sidewall isoriented at least substantially normal to the substrate.
 11. Theapparatus of claim 1, wherein the first sidewall is positioned along atleast one outer edge of the apparatus.
 12. The apparatus of claim 1,wherein the substrate is a glass substrate.
 13. The apparatus of claim1, further comprising: a display having the substrate, the EMS structureand the thin film transistor; a processor that is configured tocommunicate with the display, the processor being configured to processimage data; and a memory device that is configured to communicate withthe processor.
 14. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising: adriver circuit configured to send at least one signal to the display;and a controller configured to send at least a portion of the image datato the driver circuit.
 15. The apparatus of claim 13, furthercomprising: an image source module configured to send the image data tothe processor, wherein the image source module comprises at least one ofa receiver, transceiver, and transmitter.
 16. The apparatus of claim 13,further comprising: an input device configured to receive input data andto communicate the input data to the processor.
 17. An apparatuscomprising: a substrate; an electromechanical systems (EMS) structurehaving a first sidewall extending up from the substrate, wherein thefirst sidewall is formed from a plurality of layers of material and aratio of a height of the first sidewall over a thickness of the firstsidewall is at least about 4:1; and a thin-film transistor having acomponent that forms a portion of at least a first layer of the firstsidewall and having a channel, wherein the channel has a channel widthand a channel length, and the channel width is defined in part based onthe height of the first sidewall.
 18. The apparatus of claim 17, whereinthe first layer of the first sidewall forms the channel of the thin-filmtransistor, and the first layer includes an amorphous semiconductor. 19.The apparatus of claim 17, wherein at least a second layer of the firstsidewall forms a gate terminal of the thin-film transistor.
 20. Theapparatus of claim 17, wherein the first layer of the first sidewallforms a source terminal or a drain terminal of the thin-film transistor.21. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the EMS structure includes afloor, and at least one layer of material of the floor of the EMSstructure forms a gate terminal of the thin-film transistor.
 22. Theapparatus of claim 21, wherein the EMS structure includes an elevatedsurface that is elevated with respect to the floor, and at least onelayer of material of the elevated surface forms a source or a drainterminal of the thin-film transistor.
 23. The apparatus of claim 17,wherein the EMS structure includes a floor, and at least one layer ofmaterial of the floor of the EMS structure forms a source or drainterminal of the thin-film transistor.
 24. The apparatus of claim 23,wherein the EMS structure includes an elevated surface that is elevatedwith respect to the floor, and at least one layer of material of theelevated surface forms a gate terminal of the thin-film transistor. 25.The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising a EMS light modulatorsuspended over the substrate, wherein: the EMS structure includes ananchor that supports a portion of an actuator configured to control thestate of the EMS light modulator; and the transistor controls theapplication of an actuation voltage to the portion of the actuator. 26.The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the first sidewall is oriented atleast substantially normal to the substrate.
 27. The apparatus of claim17, wherein the first sidewall is positioned along at least one outeredge of the apparatus.
 28. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein thesubstrate is a glass substrate.